Dark War: Intensification
Part 1 "Otowotateru!" "Jōhatsu!" A shrill soundwave and a stream of corrosive vapour shot toward the levitating . However, before they were able to connect, a transparent sphere of grey had stood on their way, completely dispersing the attacks. "Shi no Senkai-ha!" The rapidly rotating large shuriken dashed forward and crashed at the barrier, bouncing harmlessly off afterward. Then, it turned around mid-air and repeated the attack with the same result, or rather lack thereof. "Spread out, Zanzō!" Lieutenant Motoko Manihōrudo released her Shikai and plunged at the enemy. As she flew toward the Hollow, four identical copies split from her body and quickly dispersed. Subsequently, Motoko slashed at the barrier with her ; her four clones followed a split second after, each attacking from a different angle. All of a sudden, the sphere became opaque. Seeing this, Manihōrudo and her copies rapidly retreated. A mere moment later the barrier exploded, destroying a significant portion of the immediate surroundings in the process. Motoko stopped near her comrades, and her clones merged with her body in an instant. Then, Lieutenant Hatsuharu passed quickly by her, with his Zanpakutō raised to attack. "Lets see how tough you really are!", he shouted. Charging in, he slashed at the frail Vasto Lorde, The latter dodged with ease, using her slender frame along with her speed to dodge all of his cuts. Then, her eyes narrowed as she stopped the evasive manoeuvres in order to block Hatsuharu's attack, completely nullifying its force with her -like Reiatsu. Still, the impetus of the slash caused the Vasto Lorde noticeable alarm. "Kuufuku Corps Vice-Captain, Hatsuharu Yamashita", declared the Shinigami, a slight smirk on his face. Before the Vasto Lorde could react, he broke away from her strength and slashed at her again. The attack was promptly blocked with ease. Suddenly, the Vasto Lorde looked back to see Kana preparing to throw her Shikai. "Shi no Senkai ha!", she shouted, throwing the shuriken with a surprising speed. However, the Vasto Lorde seemingly lazily lifted her free arm and grabbed the shuriken. Although, before being able to cast it aside, Kana used Shunpo to keep the Hollow's arm in place. Just as the two Shinigami were starting to buckle under the Vasto Lorde's humungous strength, Motoko appeared suddenly to the side of the Vasto Lorde. One of her clones appeared on the other side and both slashed at the Vasto Lorde's legs. She promptly blocked the attacks, leaving her open for the other three clones to strike the trapped Menos. "It's over!", Hatsuharu exclaimed, his smile widening. The Vasto Lorde's eyes widened as the blades reached her body. Then, she vanished in the blink of an eye. The Lieutenants swayed due to her abrupt disappearance, and Manihōrudo's clones accidentaly crossed blades with each other. They immediately started looking around to spot the enemy. "What the hell!? We held her tight!", bellowed Yamashita. "She didn't run! She teleported!", replied Motoko. "Over there, watch out!", screamed suddenly Enodoriko. The trio observed with fright as their foe swiftly materialised behind the other two officers. The Lieutenants were startled, and reacted with delay. "Shindō Suru!", exclaimed Sasuyōna whilst turning around. The Vasto Lorde caught his Zanpakutō's buzzing blade, completely ignoring its hyper-speed vibration. Suijōki began raising his own Zanpakutō to strike, but the Hollow was faster. She pointed the index finger of her free hand at him, and a sudden outburst of grey spiritual energy hit him in the chest. Ryū flew into the air and crushed in a nearby wall. "Suijōki-san!", screamed Hibiki. All of a sudden, he found the Vasto Lorde's finger pointing at his face. Then, a point-blank explosion obscured his head and the officer fell limply down on the ground. "You bitch!", yelled Hatsuharu. The other three Lieutenants plunged at the Hollow. As they were charging at her with considerable speed, she rapidly turned around to face them. An orb of light grey Reiryoku accumulated in front of her face and promptly fired a vast Cero beam. The Shinigami dodged in the last moment. The powerful blast dashed further and eventually stopped, causing a huge explosion some distance away. "Damn you!", shouted Motoko. Then, the Hollow began charging another Cero. As the Lieutenants hurried to brace themselves, their enemy was unexpectedly struck by a bolt of lightning. Shocked, they observed silently as the dust cleared off, revealing the Vasto Lorde once again hidden under a barrier. Subsequently, a single person used Shunpo to rapidly stand in front of her. Enodoriko promptly recognised the newcomer. " -dono!", she exclaimed with a faint smile on her face. The First Division Lieutenant delivered an intimidating gaze to the Vasto Lorde, who responded with the same. Afterward, he raised his right hand outstretched, pointing the tip of his rapier-like Zanpakutō at the enemy. " -dono entrusted me with protecting that district, and I shall not fail him!", he declared. The only response was a quickly expanding sphere of spiritual energy appearing in front of the Vasto Lorde's outstretched hand. Part 2 "Hyaaah!" Kenpachi Kuufuku's blade struck Ira yet again. The Eleventh Division Captain was slashing madly at the opponent, who after some time retorted to merely unenthusiastically block his continuous attacks. Suddenly, the Vasto Lorde shoved the Zanpakutō away and punched Kenpachi in his stomach. The ground quaked at the brute force of the hit, and the Captain slided backward over a dozen metres. Afterward, he spat some blood and grinned maniacally. "Kenpachi-san, you should fight more seriously", remarked Captain Kuragari. "He is far above Shikai levels by now." "Shut up! I'm enjoyin' myself!", exclaimed Kuufuku whilst charging at the enemy once again. Ikiryō was noticeably perplexed by his comrade's response. "Is he a masochist or what...", he murmured. "Enough!", roared Ira all of a sudden. Kenpachi stopped, immersed in a wave of red Reiryoku. The Vasto Lorde strained all of his muscles to the point his veins started to bulge out. Then, he was enveloped by a tempestuous aura of spiritual energy, sending wave after wave. "How dare you mock me!", bellowed Ira. "Fight me at full power or PERISH!" His aura expanded rapidly and the entire area started shaking violently. Powerful gusts of wind began raising clouds of white sand. Kuragari placed his hand on his Zanpakutō's hilt, but otherwise remained motionless. He glanced attentively at Kenpachi, who bared all of his teeth in a wide smile. "That's what I'm talkin' 'bout!", he shouted with fervour. "The real fun starts now!" Afterward, he grasped his Zanpakutō's hilt with both of hands. An aura of orange spiritual power enveloped him and began struggling with Ira's Reiatsu. "Bankai!", exclaimed Kuufuku. His energy pushed back the tempest created by the Vasto Lorde. After several seconds of a violent release it gradually became calmer, eventually revealing the Captain. "Karyuudo Saysugai Honnou!", he announced. His Zanpakutō had increased and changed its shape to that of a large poleaxe with an elaborate, very long main blade, and an auxiliary, smaller one attached to the back of the weapon's head. He swung the Zanpakutō effortlessly despite its considerable size, and then pointed it at the enemy. "Here you go, freak. No more goofin' around!", he said. Ira immediately raised his guard and narrowed his glowing red eyes. Suddenly, Kenpachi rushed at him with astonishing speed, swinging his giant Zanpakutō wildly. The Vasto Lorde dodged five quick, broad slashes, and then used to gain some distance. "Your speed hasn't changed", he remarked with noticeable irritation. Then, he rapidly plunged at Kuufuku and hit him in the chest so fast the Captain did not have time to react. There was a loud thump, and Kenpachi slid several metres backward. A single streak of blood flowed from his mouth. "Neither did your defence", complained Ira. "So, is it...?" "Sengiri!", exclaimed Kuufuku all of a sudden. Subsequently, the Captain struck the white sand with his Zanpakutō. Moments later the desert began splitting with tremendous speed, reaching the surprised Vasto Lorde in an instant. The constantly expanding fissure went further, hit the base of the immense spire behind Ira and ultimately produced a large crack in its thick wall. Ira winced; a deep wound appeared on his torso, nearly separating the left side of his body from the rest. However, the cut healed quickly thanks to . "... power", finished the Vasto Lorde with a threatening whisper. Kuufuku chortled. "Who cares 'bout some fancy techniques! I cut, rend and smash, and my Bankai does just that!", he explained fervently. "Now, bring it on, or I'll crush you with the next attack!" Right after saying that, he swung the large poleaxe once again. Another fissure opened rapidly in the ground, but this time Ira dodged in an instant. He disappeared with a static sound, and then materialised next to Kenpachi. The Captain had noticed him and blocked his punch. Afterward, he pushed the Vasto Lorde back and immediately slashed at him. However, Ira managed to intercept the giant blade with his armoured forearm; the edge sunk one centimetre into the bone plate and stopped. "Huh?", murmured Kuufuku. "You got tougher again?" "Damn you!", bellowed the Vasto Lorde in response. Subsequently, he charged a crackling orb of energy in his free hand and smashed it into the Captain. Nonetheless, Kenpachi had moved his Zanpakutō so that its shaft intercepted most of the attack. He jumped back due to the impetus, but quickly resumed a fighting stance. "Die!", exclaimed Ira. As he opened his mouth, an increasing ball of dark red spiritual energy began accumulating between his sizeable jaws, emitting a distinct sound. Kuufuku had grinned, but his expression changed as the crimson continued to expand. Then, the powerful beam burst forth. Kenpachi grabbed his massive Zanpakutō two-handed and slashed the bedazzling Cero as it approached him. The crimson stream of energy was separated right to its source, and the force of the slash eventually reached Ira himself. The beam dispersed. The Vasto Lorde swayed and groaned, his face almost cut in half. Shortly afterward his tissue started regenerating, but a visible scar remained. His eyes shone brightly with incessantly increasing fury. Suddenly, Captain Kuragari used to move right next to Kenpachi. The Eleventh Division Captain glanced at him with an eyebrow raised. "What is it? You wanna fight too? No way, he's mine", he said. "I won't interrupt you. One thing: his defence drops drastically whenever he attacks. Bear that in mind when you fight him. Meanwhile, I should go forward", explained Ikiryō with a grimace of concentration on his face. "Fine by me, go ahead", replied Kuufuku, turning back to face Ira. Kuragari nodded. Then, he vanished from the sight. The Vasto Lorde widened his eyes and made a move toward the towering spire, but Kenpachi stood in his way. "Hey, I'm yer opponent! Focus on me or you'll be the one to perish!", exclaimed Kuufuku whilst madly swinging his immense poleaxe. Ira frowned in response, and proceeded to emit a radiant aura of red Reiatsu. He raised both of his fists and flexed the muscles, prompting his veins to bulge out. Kenpachi grinned and assumed a fighting stance. "Let's go!", he shouted. Suddenly, both of the fighters plunged at each other and clashed mid-air, causing a big, blinding explosion in the process. Part 3 "Bakudō #81, Dankū!" A rectangular wall of solidified Reishi shielded Captains Tadayoshi and Shōki from the impending attack. The powerful willow-green Cero exploded on impact, but the barrier withstood its force. Subsequently, a large cloud of dust rose into the air. The Bakudō shattered and dissipated in an instant. Then, Lascivia's spawn emerged suddenly from the cloud, his fists glowing with overcharged energy. "Shit!", exclaimed Kurokawa. Both Shinigami narrowly evaded the incoming s by jumping into the air. The spawn growled and pounced at the Grand Kidō Chief; his fists met with the Captain's Zanpakutō and struck sparks on impact. Meanwhile, just as Captain Shōki was about to help her comrade, she suddenly had to dodge another Bala blast. The attack was so unexpected that she did not manage to avoid it completely, and the energy burned the right sleeve of her haori. "You've already forgotten about me?", asked Lascivia tauntingly. Kaoru promptly landed on the white sand and glanced angrily at the Vasto Lorde. Then, she charged at her with her Zanpakutō raised to strike. "Ugokenaku suru!" The jagged blade of her sickle-like weapon had scratched Lascivia's forearm before the latter could escape. The Vasto Lorde used Sonído to retreat, but right after she had stopped, she became almost completely stiff. "Sit!", said Shōki with a smirk. "You... little...", muttered Lascivia. Kaoru chuckled briefly. However, she had lost her good mood fast; she heard a loud explosion, and Captain Tadayoshi crashed into the desert some distance away. Distressed, she utilised Shunpo to quickly get to him. "What's wrong, Tadayoshi-kun?" "I don't feel... well...", he murmured. The damage he had received was light, but otherwise he looked sick. His had bags under his eyes, and his skin became unnaturally pale. In the meantime, the Hollow spawn landed nearby. It looked briefly at its mother with a grimace, and then turned to the two Shinigami. "Crap! Hadō #31, Shakkahō!", exclaimed Kaoru. The red energy ball blasted the incoming enemy, stalling him briefly. Shōki helped Tadayoshi to stand up and used Shunpo to gain some distance. "Let me... fight...", protested Kurokawa. "Wait, Tadayoshi-kun! She must've poisoned you with her Reiatsu when you impaled her with your Zanpakutō", said Kaoru. "It's interfering with your energy circulation. You can't fight like that." "Doesn't... matter...", replied the Grand Kidō Chief. Shōki glanced anxiously at the approaching spawn. Afterward, she raised her Zanpakutō. "Chūwa suru!" Unexpectedly, she slashed at Tadayoshi's arm. The Captain looked at her with disbelief, and then fell to his knees. "Sorry, but you must rest a bit first!", explained Shōki. Just as she was finishing her sentence, the Hollow attacked all of a sudden. She did not have time to prepare, and the Bala blasted the ground in-between the two Shinigami. Kaoru flew several metres and then landed heavily on the white sand. "Bloody... mutant!", she exclaimed while slowly standing up. The spawn gazed at her briefly. Subsequently, it simply turned around and ran toward the temporarily immobilised Kurokawa, completely ignoring her. "You bastard!" Moving at a high speed, the Hollow raised his fist crackling with energy. However, before it was able to punch the practically defenceless Tadayoshi, Captain Shōki stood in his way and blocked the attack. The spawn was noticeably surprised, but not discouraged. He promptly began pressing the Twelfth Division Captain, gradually overwhelming her with superior physical strength. Kaoru winced from the amount of effort and bent her legs. Suddenly, she was engulfed by a tempest of khaki-coloured spiritual energy. The spawn disengaged and jumped back, this time truly shocked. "You've been a really bad boy, you little monster", seethed Kaoru. "Bankai!" Following that, she struck the ground with the tip of her Zanpakutō. Right afterward numerous green cracks of shining energy started spreading in all directions, creating a sizeable network on the white sand. Then, a deep bellow could be heard from below the ground. The sand swelled, and suddenly a long object sprouted from the underground. Seconds later the dune virtually blew up as multiple writhing appendages emerged. "Hare-Shitai Fuhai", declared Kaoru. The monster which was her Bankai was of an immense size. It had a big, turtle-like head with a curved and serrated beak. Its considerably long neck protruded from the sand, surrounded by two armour-clad arms with clawed paws and numerous dark green tentacles. Most of its massive body remained under the ground. The creature turned its head toward Lascivia's spawn. Subsequently, it emitted a loud, screeching roar. Sickly green gas started leaking from the wide open maw. Alarmed, the Hollow began charging a Cero. Although, before he was able to attack, several feelers lashed at him with brute force. The spawn evaded them with Sonído, but it was not the end. As he rose up into the air, the giant's head moved toward him with surprising speed. The Hollow instinctively guarded himself with his hands. Subsequently, Hare-Shitai Fuhai fired a volley of spikes from its maw. The Lascivia's spawn took a direct hit and fell, pierced with several of them. Right after a heavy landing he attempted to pull some of them out, but his movements quickly became uncontrolled and contortioned. He collapsed, writhing madly in an agonising pain. Captain Shōki glanced at him with an atypically intimidating expression. Then, she waved with her Zanpakutō, prompting her summon to finish the opponent off. The monster raised its feelers, and proceeded to repeatedly whack the opponent, causing perceptible tremors with its great strength. Afterward, it snatched the Hollow with multiple tentacles, lifted him into the air, and subsequently tore him to pieces in the blink of an eye. Meanwhile, Kaoru started panting, and several drops of sweat fell from her forehead. She had exerted a significant part of her Reiatsu in order to quickly dispose of the spawn. However, the fight still was not over. "How could you!", screamed Lascivia from afar. Shōki turned around fast. She noticed a single tiny spider-like Hollow lying motionless next to the Vasto Lorde; Lascivia had managed to expel poison once again. "Die!", she exclaimed as she began preparing a powerful Cero. Kaoru cursed. Hare-Shitai Fuhai was in no position to intercept the attack, and speed was not one of its assets. Just as she prepared to dodge, the radiant beam shot toward her. "Hadō #88, Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō!", she heard as the blast was rapidly approaching her. The Cero vanished, dispersed by a gleaming stream of tempestuous energy fired by Captain Tadayoshi. Seconds later, the bright blue blast immersed the astonished Lascivia with its devastating light, too fast to let her escape. The Vasto Lorde yelled, but her scream faded in the roar of the powerful Hadō. After mere moments she was entirely pulverised, and the beam stopped at the base of the white spire, still capable of causing a sizeable explosion. Somewhat shocked, Kaoru sealed her Zanpakutō and glanced at Kurokawa, who was slowly approaching her with a mixed face expression, as if he did not know what emotion to show. "I... thank you for your help, Captain Shōki", he said eventually with a faint smile. "That sedative's worked wonders." "You're more than welcome, Tadayoshi-kun", she replied, smirking. "Even though it's been quite a hassle, we did it!" "Yes, but it's not over yet. We should go", stated Tadayoshi. "Oh, did you really have to vaporise her? I so wanted to study her body, I could learn so many things...", complained Kaoru all of a sudden. "At least there's still something left from that abomination she's spawned..." "Captain Shōki, we're on a mission. We must help the others", declared Kurokawa. She was startled by the severity of his tone, but quickly resumed her somewhat immature attitude. "It can't be helped, can it?", she asked with exaggerated exasperation. "Okay, let's go, let's go. I'll do the analysis later." Subsequently, the two Captains cautiously approached the immense spire, and entered it through the breach the Hadō #88 had left in its thick wall. Part 4 Likely for the very first time in the history, the desert around the Hollows' headquarters knew water. Multiple geysers and large fissures appeared every once in a while, showering the white sand profusely. Celos swung her hands madly, continuously tearing the ground with outbursts of pressurised water. Captain Risa skilfully dodged the attacks, and then disappeared from sight. The Vasto Lorde had prepared that time. When Sakamoto materialised nearby and slashed at her, she used Sonído to evade the cut. Afterward, she stopped, sliding on the sand, and began raising her hand to strike. However, she noticed Risa had been faster. Celos turned around and slanted, attempting to jump out of the attack's path. Then, she realised that the tower's wall was right behind her. Surprised, she did not manage to escape and the torrent of pressurised water hit her a second later. Captain Risa looked cautiously as the haze cleared. Despite the fact it had been a direct hit, the Vasto Lorde seemed relatively unharmed. "You might know better how to use these abilities", she said, panting slightly. "But there's no way you can defeat me at this level." Suddenly, she made a broad motion with one of her hands. The earth split apart, releasing a torrential wave of water. Sakamoto, shocked by the technique's power, barely managed to avoid it. She did not succeed to dodge completely, however, and the pressurised water damaged her left hand. "Your only chance is to use your Bankai", stated Celos with a wry smile. "I'm gonna crush you otherwise!" Risa did not respond to her words. Instead, she turned to Captain Kinzoku, who until then had remained stationary, but vigilant. He raised his eyebrow slightly, noticing Sakamoto's attention. "Captain Kinzoku, I can handle the enemy myself. You may proceed to support the others", said the Thirteenth Division Captain. Tarō glanced briefly at the distant Vasto Lorde. Then, he nodded. "Sure. Good hunting", he replied right before using Shunpo to run toward the spire. "I thought you'd ask that creepy guy to help you!", shouted Celos from afar. "That would've been wiser than fighting me one-on-one!" Risa rapidly decreased the distance between her and the foe. "I do not require Captain Kinzoku's help. It is much wiser for him to go forward and proceed with our main mission", she explained whilst raising her sword. "Oh, you gonna show me your Bankai after all?", asked the Vasto Lorde with excitement. "Great, I can't wait to copy a Bankai!" Sakamoto was silent. She narrowed her eyes; her face expression was calm, but focused. "Bankai", she declared. All of a sudden, water in the numerous ponds scattered around the fighters became stirred. Subsequently, streams of water began to rise and accumulate mid-air, slowly creating a concrete shape. After several seconds they formed a long, slender dragon entirely of nearly transparent liquid. "Funshutsu no Doragon", said Risa sternly. "Excellent! Now it's my turn!", exclaimed Celos. Following that she raised both of her hands. The remaining water from the surroundings repeated the process displayed moments ago, creating an identical copy of Sakamoto's water dragon levitating over the Vasto Lorde. "Let's go!", shouted Celos. Captain Risa pointed her sword at the Hollow. Then, the liquid dragon opened its maw and spewed a barrage of water bullets at the opponent. Celos swung with her hands, prompting her own summon to move quickly and intercept the attack. The bullets dissolved into its body. "Hahaha, I can figure out how to counter you!", she announced cheerfully. Undisturbed, Sakamoto commanded her dragon to strike again. Subsequently, it opened its jaws even wider and proceeded to shoot a stream of highly pressurised water. The Vasto Lorde mirrored her move in an instant, and two identical torrents clashed mid-air. Afterward, Risa's summon pounced on its mirror-like copy and bit it with its solid water fangs. Celos instantaneously struck back, making her dragon grab the enemy with both of its front limbs. The two liquid beasts were locked in a deadly struggle, biting and slashing each other in order to disperse the opponent's body. However, both of them recovered quickly from every successive blow, rendering their fight a total impasse. "What a splendid technique! I'll make it mine after you die!", exclaimed Celos. Suddenly, Sakamoto lifted her free hand and aimed it outstretched in the Vasto Lorde's direction. "Hadō #31, Shakkahō." Celos widened her eyes in shock. Before the blast was able to hit her, however, she jumped to the side and narrowly avoided its explosion. Meanwhile, Sakamoto's water dragon gained the upper hand and quickly bifurcated its double. Just as the copy began dispersing, the Vasto Lorde retained control over its form and reshaped it. "Hey, that was a dirty trick!", she quetched. "Here, have mine!" Subsequently, she charged a green Bala in her right hand and fired it at the Captain. Risa dodged it seemingly effortlessly, though. She retreated her water dragon directly above her with a swing of her Zanpakutō, and then targeted the Hollow with her free hand once again. "Hadō #32, Ōkasen!", she exclaimed. Afterward, a wide arc of yellow energy burst forth from her hand. Celos evaded it barely and landed heavily on both legs some distance away. Then, she looked at her opponent, only to realise she had been preparing yet another Hadō. "Hadō #41, Raimei!" When the torrential gust of wind emerged from the Shinigami's hand, Celos realised she would not be able to dodge. Consequently, she immediately ordered her summon to intercept the attack. The water dragon plunged downward and took the brunt of the airwave; its liquid body dispersed, shredded by the razor wind. The Vasto Lorde frowned. She attempted to reform her copied summon, but the original water dragon burst through the haze which remained after it and dashed toward her with surprising speed. Celos gasped, and then the dragon hit her with brute force. Several seconds later, she crashed into the white tower with a loud thud, causing a sizeable crater to form in the white wall. Stunned, she did not react when a Bakudō spell bound her to the spire. "Bakudō #37, Tsuriboshi", declared Captain Risa. With her opponent anchored to the spire by a star-shaped cushion of spiritual energy, Sakamoto approached her unhurriedly. Her water dragon loomed high above her head, gazing with its watery eyes at the immobilised Celos. "You can imitate a single technique used in your vicinity", stated Risa. "Only one at a time. When you were faced with several different techniques of varying power level in quick succession, you could not decide how to react. You could have copied one after another and neutralised each with its imitation, but then you would have to discard the mirrored Bankai, your temporary trump card. Your uncertainty was easy to exploit." "Damn you, Shinigami! How can you mock me!", replied Celos. "I'm stronger than you! Superior to you! How could you win!?" The water dragon tautened, readying itself to strike. "Attempting to emulate the others is common amongst the students who venerate their masters. However, to become a master one has to develop their unique style and hone their individuality. You are strong, yet you are still a fledgling. I sincerely hope that the today's lesson will serve you well in your next incarnation", responded Sakamoto with a solemn tone. "Funshutsu no Doragon." Celos observed with horror as the water dragon opened its maw, and the liquid constituting its body was stirred. "Farewell, Celos-san", whispered Risa. "Nooo...!", yelled the Vasto Lorde. Her dying scream was cut short when the serpent of torrential water crushed into the wall with tremendous force. Part 5 Meanwhile, Captain Shōdo battled ferociously with the Vasto Lorde Antracón on the other side of the titanic tower. Explosions of varying magnitude quaked the earth over and over, and the immense heat of the Captain's Bankai turned the surrounding desert into glass. "Kanzan-dan!" A giant boulder of smouldering ashes dashed toward the Hollow. Surprised with the attack's speed, he used Sonído to evade it rather than absorb its power on impact. Then, he stopped a significant distance away, panting and singed by Fudo's fiery attacks. "Something's wrong, Hollow-san?", asked Shōdo tauntingly. "Overfed already?" "I am always eager to eat some more", responded the Vasto Lorde with a threatening, but at the same time uncertain tone. Nearby inferno parted, revealing the Captain walking toward Antracón. Like his opponent, Fudo bore numerous light wounds on his body, yet his mood was noticeably more positive. "I may not be the brightest lightbulb in the box, but I'm not blind either. You can't absorb my power forever, and I assure you, I still have plenty to spare", declared Shōdo, grinning. "You will not be so confident anymore after I eat every single spiritual particle of your body", seethed Antracón. Subsequently, he shot a sudden Bala at the Shinigami. When Fudo deflected it with his massive Zanpakutō, the Vasto Lorde approached him rapidly and struck him from the side. Taken by surprise, the Captain slided several metres on the white sand, but quickly regained his stance. The Hollow pounced at him and proceeded to shower him with powerful punches. However, Shōdo blocked every single one with his giant sledgehammer, grinning all the time. His vast spiritual power began enveloping both of the fighters with a raging blaze, burning the sand into glass. Seeing this, Antracón retreated hastily. Then, he stood straightened up and spread out his arms, once again assimilating his foe's power. "Futile!", exclaimed Fudo, preparing to strike. "Gōka Mekyakku!" Afterward, he shot a giant fireball at the stationary Hollow. Shocked, Antracón hurriedly changed his pose and allowed the technique to hit him with full force. Flames erupted in all directions upon impact. Nevertheless, before the smoke even began to clear, Fudo utilised Shunpo to plunge at the unsuspecting enemy. Then, he swung his Zanpakutō and whacked the Vasto Lorde, sending him flying. Antracón crashed into a distant dune, causing a cloud of dust to raise in the aftermath. Wary of the opponent, he quickly stood up and prepared to face him. Subsequently, his eyeless face rapidly outstretched with genuine fear. Chimneys protruding from Captain Shōdo's heavy backpack continued to release crimson flames which rose high as fiery pillars. High above the surface of the endless desert the flames were gradually accumulating into an immense, glowing orb of swirling fire. "You've said you've still got some room in your tummy, right?", asked Fudo with a smirk. "Here comes the main course!" Antracón outstretched his slimy lips in a wide smile. Then, he lifted his head and assumed his stance, ready to take the powerful attack. "Let's go! Sekai no Shōtotsu!", shouted Shōdo, rapidly swinging his Zanpakutō down. The colossal fireball began plummeting with quickly increasing speed. Antracón laughed madly, surprised and elated at the prospect of absorbing such massive amount of spiritual power at once. However, rather than immediately retreat, Fudo had remained relatively nearby even though the attack was approaching rapidly. Its immense heat dispersed the blaze surrounding both of the combatants. "Bakudō #9, Hōrin!", exclaimed Captain Shōdo all of a sudden. An orange hued energy tendril burst forth from his hand and instantaneously wrapped around the Vasto Lorde's torso, constraining both of his arms. Astonished, Antracón glanced at the Captain with his mouth wide open in utter horror. Fudo winked in response, and then vanished using Shunpo. The Vasto Lorde looked at his impending doom, speechless. Mere seconds later he was struck by the colossal orb of fire, and perished in an instant. End of Chapter Category:Roleplay